French presidency of the UN Security Council in June 2016

- Protecting civilians in peacekeeping operations. On June 10, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault will chair a ministerial meeting at the Security Council on this issue; it will also be attended by the UN secretary-general and the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. A meeting will also be held in early June on sexual violence in conflicts.

- Africa, with the renewal of the mandate of peacekeeping missions in Mali (MINUSMA), Sudan/Darfur (UNAMID), and the authorization of the African Union operation in Somalia (AMISOM). The Security Council will also closely monitor the situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, and South Sudan.

- North Africa and the Middle East, with the renewal of the mandate of the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and careful monitoring of the crises in Syria, Libya, Yemen and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With respect to the latter, France is introducing a Middle East peace initiative. In late June, the Security Council will also receive the UN secretary-general’s report on the implementation of Resolution 1701 on Lebanon.

The French presidency will also work on election deadlines within the UN system, continuing the process to designate the new secretary-general, the election of the future president of the UN General Assembly, and the election of new non-permanent members to the Security Council for 2017-2018.